Chihuahua state police seize 280 U.S. passports, and visas; two suspects arrested

Chihuahua state police in Juárez seized 280 U.S. documents, including passports and visas, and arrested a brother and a sister suspected of renting the documents to undocumented people wanting to cross to El Paso, state officials said Tuesday.

The seizure took place Tuesday morning at Guerrero Negro and Arroyo Café streets when the driver of a red 2002 Windstar sped up upon seeing police patrols in the area, officials said.

After a brief chase, state officers arrested the pair around Héroes de Nacozari and Encinal streets.

In a search inside the vehicle, officers discovered 66 U.S. permanent resident cards, 45 U.S. passports/cards, 33 laser visas VISA/BBC, 31 resident alien cards, 25 visas B1/132, 24 green cards, six U.S. driver's licenses, seven ID cards issued by the state of Texas, two U.S. driver's licenses issued for minors, five U.S driver's licenses from several states, 24 U.S. passports, seven Social Security cards and a U.S. birth certificate.

Luis Chavira Ramírez, 47, and his sister Alejandra Chavira Ramírez, 38, were arrested on charges of crimes against immigration laws.

According to the state police, Luis Chavira said the documents belonged to his sister and, once in a while, they rent those documents to people who want to cross to El Paso.

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Alejandra said two men, known only as "Balín" and "Berna," pay her up to $100 to store the documents, police said.